First time build - $600-$700 budget (feedback, suggestions please)

[BrentD]

First time posting here, looking to build my first PC. Current PC is a dinosaur that can't even run TF2, let alone any PC title from pretty much the last 6 years. Was looking to build my own PC this time, preferably not wanting to spend any more than $600, $700 at the absolute max, but my current parts list sorta overshot that budget by a few hundred dollars. In addition to getting some advice on what I can cut back on and any possible improvements, I'd like some critiquing on how (conceptually, at least) my first try at a homebuilt rig is.


Approximate Purchase Date: Around 4 months from now

Budget Range: Would like to not spend over $600, but if need be I'll be willing to spend as much as $700

System Usage from Most Important to Least Important: Gaming, transcoding high definition video, playback of high definition video and blu-ray discs, livestreaming games for friends (PC and console), surfing the internet

Are you buying a monitor: No

Parts to Upgrade: CPU, motherboard, PSU, RAM, case, GPU

Parts to Keep: 2TB 3.5" SATA HDD w/ Windows 7, 1.5TB 3.5" external SATA HDD, 5.25" DVD-RAM optical drive/writer

Do you need to buy OS: No

Preferred Website(s) for Parts: newegg.com, although I'm no stranger to other sites

Location: Tulsa, Oklahoma, United States

Parts Preferences: Intel CPU, nVIDIA GPU

Overclocking: Maybe

SLI or Crossfire: In the future

Your Monitor Resolution: 1280x720 32" HDTV

Additional Comments: Would like a big case with plenty of airflow, easy access to the the internals, plenty of room for future expansion and upgrading, and plenty of modularity. Would like a motherboard and CPU that can easily last for at least 5 or 6 years. I plan on upgrading and expanding a lot over the next few years, so I'd just like the essentials for now.

And Most Importantly, Why Are You Upgrading: It's time I upgraded from Core 2 Duo/2GB DDR2/Intel Q35 graphics/small form factor case that allows no room for expansion

Parts List:

Public Wish List with Current Parts

Antec Lanboy air Blue Black / Blue ATX Mid Tower Computer Modular Case

ASUS SABERTOOTH Z77 LGA 1155 Intel Z77 HDMI SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard

Intel Core i5-3570K Ivy Bridge 3.4GHz (3.8GHz Turbo) LGA 1155 77W Quad-Core Desktop Processor Intel HD Graphics 4000 BX80637I53570K

G.SKILL Sniper Low Voltage Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory Model F3-12800CL9D-8GBSR2

EVGA 01G-P3-1556-KR GeForce GTX 550 Ti (Fermi) FPB 1GB 192-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Support Video Card

SeaSonic M12II 620 Bronze 620W ATX12V V2.3 / EPS 12V V2.91 SLI Ready 80 PLUS BRONZE Certified Modular Active PFC Power Supply

 

[arzbhatia]

Looks good mate. But what you could do is spend a little less on the motherboard and get a better graphic card. Believe it or not, even if you buy an ASrock Extreme4 and get a better graphic card, you'll get better performance than what you'll be getting with this build. The graphic card is the main thing. That's what I've realized being a (kind of) computer specialist and enthusiast.